It’s not the size of the fine I find odd. If he is guilty, then it has to be enough to stop what he is doing, bearing in mind he may have salted away the profits in all kinds of ways. The thing that gets me uneasy is the calculation and the posting of the proposed fine before the case - in other cases the worst case prison sentence - so the lawyers on both sides can estimate their fees, or pitch for a plea bargain, or what?
The nearest I can think of in Europe was the Formula-1 bribery case in 2014. Bernie Ecclestone paid $100 million to have the case closed against him without going to court. It is clear he was guilty to some degree, and the result is a compromise between what the German courts think he ought to pay, and what they are practically likely to get, given that the sums will attract the high-rolling lawyers. Both sides had to haggle, and quote real figures. This was not great. I think it was a compromise that worked at the time, but I would not like it to become a regular thing.
